SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Native American leaders say President Donald Trump’s move to drastically shrink a Utah national monument is the president’s second insult to native people in a week and an offense that tribes will unite to fight.
A coalition of five tribes that spent years pushing for the creation of Bears Ears National Monument said Monday it will wage a legal battle over the president’s plan to reduce the protected area by 85 percent.
Trump announced in a visit to Salt Lake City that he would also cut protections at Utah’s Grand Staircase National Monument roughly in half.
Anthony Fierro yells in front of a police officer as protesters are stopped from marching up State Street during President Donald Trump’s announcement to eliminate vast portions of Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)
Trump says Utah’s lands should not be managed by “distant bureaucrats in Washington” and said he was reversing federal overreach.
Utah’s Republican leaders had pushed for Trump’s action, saying the monuments closed off the land to energy development and other access.
Shaun Chapoose speaks during during a news conference, Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. President Donald Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. Chapoose with the Ute Tribe says Trump’s decision benefits “a few powerful Utah politicians.” (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Protesters march from the Utah State Capitol through downtown Salt Lake City during President Donald Trump’s visit Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Roughly 3,000 demonstrators lined up near the State Capitol to protest Trump’s announcement of scaling back two sprawling national monuments, and his declaring that “public lands will once again be for public use.” (Benjamin Zack/Standard-Examiner via AP)
President Donald Trump holds up a signed proclamation to shrink the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante national monuments at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Protesters yell in front of police officers as they are stopped from marching up State Street during President Donald Trump’s announcement to eliminate vast portions of Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)
Protesters yell at police officers as they are stopped from marching up State Street during President Donald Trump’s announcement to eliminate vast portions of Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)
After they took over the intersection of 100S and State Street stopping traffic, the protesters kneel in solidarity during the protest against President Donald Trump during his visit to the State Capital in Salt Lake on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. (Adam Fondren/The Deseret News via AP)
An officer smells a flower that a protestor gave him after the protest downtown against President Donald Trump during his visit to the State Capital in Salt Lake on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Trump on Monday took the rare step of scaling back two sprawling national monuments in Utah, declaring that “public lands will once again be for public use” in a move cheered by Republican leaders who lobbied him to undo protections they considered overly broad. (Adam Fondren/The Deseret News via AP)
Protestors and riot gear wearing police officers standoff on State Street during the protest downtown against President Donald Trump during his visit to the State Capital in Salt Lake on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Trump on Monday took the rare step of scaling back two sprawling national monuments in Utah, declaring that “public lands will once again be for public use” in a move cheered by Republican leaders who lobbied him to undo protections they considered overly broad. (Adam Fondren/The Deseret News via AP)
Protesters gather outside of the Utah State Capitol where President Donald Trump spoke to local representatives on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Roughly 3,000 demonstrators lined up near the State Capitol to protest Trump’s announcement of scaling back two sprawling national monuments, and his declaring that “public lands will once again be for public use.” (Benjamin Zack/Standard-Examiner via AP)
Moroni Benally leads protesters in chants during President Donald Trump’s visit on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Roughly 3,000 demonstrators lined up near the State Capitol to protest Trump’s announcement of scaling back two sprawling national monuments, and his declaring that “public lands will once again be for public use.” (Benjamin Zack/Standard-Examiner via AP)
Protesters kneel in the middle of State Street police try to break up a march through downtown Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Roughly 3,000 demonstrators lined up near the State Capitol to protest President Donald Trump’s announcement of scaling back two sprawling national monuments, and his declaring that “public lands will once again be for public use.” (Benjamin Zack/Standard-Examiner via AP)
Navajo Nation Vice President Jonathan Nez speaks during during a news conference Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. President Donald Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. Nez noted Monday that Trump’s move comes a week after he referred to a Democratic senator he doesn’t like as “Pocahontas.” He says the administration doesn’t respect indigenous people. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke takes the stage before President Donald Trump speaks at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
President Donald Trump speaks at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
President Donald Trump shakes Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, hand at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
President Donald Trump hands a pen to Sen Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, after signing a proclamation to shrink the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante national monuments at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
President Donald Trump is surrounded by Utah representatives at the Utah Capitol on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, as he signs two presidential proclamations to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)
President Donald Trump speaks at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
President Donald Trump is surrounded by Utah representatives at the Utah Capitol on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, after signing two presidential proclamations to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)
President Donald Trump stand with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
President Donald Trump signs a proclamation to shrink the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante national monuments at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
President Donald Trump speaks at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
President Donald Trump speaks at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
President Donald Trump speaks at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state’s GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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